Trials And Tribulations
by FantasyWriterFoSho
Summary: After she had lost control of her powers, Emma escapes into the woods so she could protect her family, friends and the rest of Storybrooke. Intent on discovering more about the Snow Queen's intentions for her, she will go looking for her in the hopes of striking up some kind of truce but as we all know…magic always comes with a price.**AU/CS/Series**
1. Fear

**Just finished watching the new episode of OUAT (4x07) yesterday and…wow…It totally blew me away. Poor Emma :(**

**I started writing this a couple of days ago but I was surprised to find out that I was relatively close to what had actually happened on the show, minus a few things of course…**

**Well, enjoy! :]**

**…**

**Chapter One: Fear**

**…**

**A**fter running from the streets of Storybrooke into the woods, which was a very long way without a car, Emma weaved through the trees, her hair flying every which way behind her as she tried to escape from what she had just done.

_Oh God_, she thought to herself. _I just hurt him_. _I just hurt my dad_.

Tears stung her eyes when she recalled the frightened faces of her parents, several onlookers and…Killian. He was scared of her. She had never seen him look at her like that before and it was definitely a painful sight to see.

_Maybe what the Snow Queen had said was true_…_maybe I don't belong with them_…

"EMMA!" a cry rung out, filling the empty spaces that were around her, thanks to the trees and the bushes.

Slowing down a little, so she could look over her shoulder, Emma half turned to one side and at once noticed an agile Killian sprinting after her, determination etched in his form as he slowly, but surely, began to close the gap between them.

Letting out a sharp sigh, she shook her head and continued on her way, her strides full and long so she would, hopefully, be able to outrun him. Breathing hard, she made her way deeper into the forest by descending into a small dip of earth, her hands out in front of her and touching some of the bark she came in contact with so she wouldn't stumble on her way down. _However_, when she looked back briefly to see if he was still there, her foot caught on an exposed root, causing her to trip and stagger forward, but lucky for her, there wasn't enough force to propel her all the way down or she could've had the extreme misfortune of suffering some injuries, minor or otherwise.

"Dammit," she whispered. Her landing pose was slightly awkward because of her accidental mishap but she soon corrected herself by simply rolling back her shoulders and pressing herself up against the slope of earth she had just traveled down. Ears perked, she listened, _hoping_ that she had lost him but that was a long shot. He was probably still following her…

After a few moments of complete silence, she tapped her fingers against the solid earth, making light thumping sounds against the mildly hard substance, before pushing her body away from it, thinking that she might be by herself now. Turning her attention to what lay out in front of her, Emma had only taken a couple of steps away when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"You would have to do better than that if you want to escape from me, lass…"

Freezing in her movements, she closed her eyes and didn't even bother to turn around. Brushing a strand of hair nervously behind one of her ears, she heard him slide down the dip—gracefully—so he could make his way to her, but the thought of him touching her, at this point in time, made her insides bubble and shred in fear. Then, without even thinking, she once again bolted, allowing her emotions to get the upper hand of her actions when she got to the other side and sloppily climbed up and out of the incline.

"Bloody hell," Killian muttered when she had managed to get away from him AGAIN. Darting after her, his movements swift, he shouted out his desperation. "Emma, _stop_!"

After knitting around some trees, he instantly spotted her. She wasn't too far ahead and the reason for that appeared to be because she was slowing down, intentionally or no, probably because of how far and fast she had been running for a few minutes, but instead of complaining about it…he was going to use that to his advantage. Exhaling loudly, he pushed himself and managed to fully catch up with her but before he could reach out and grab her to him, she turned around, her eyes blazing with mixed emotions.

Walking backwards, she lifted her hands up in a beseeching motion. "Leave me alone! I _mean_ it, Killian…I-I…" she hesitated, a tear drop falling from one of her eyes as she looked from him to her hands to him again. "I could _hurt_ you…"

Pain tightened his chest at her expression but he didn't heed her warning. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he turned away and abandoned her in her time of need. Lifting up his own hands, he slowly tried to approach her. "No, you won't because it's _not_ in you to harm anyone, love. What happened back there was an accident."

At his statement, her hands started to shake. "I-I," she stuttered, tripping over the words she so wanted to say but couldn't because they were seemingly lodged in her throat. Averting her gaze, she fought against the swarm of images that were flooding into her brain: the Snow Queen, the hole in the station, going through it and seeing the people rush over towards her, telling them to stand back because of what had just happened, Killian grabbing her, the pole falling and her dad…her _dad_…

A tormented moan escaped her lips, making Killian's heart ache. Picking up the pace, he closed in on her, his instinct of taking her into his arms and holding her was apparent and kicking in at full throttle. Noticing this instantly, Emma's eyes snapped up at him. Taking larger back-steps, she turned her head, debating about whether or not to run again, but before she could really commit to the idea, she felt his hand wrap around her left wrist, which caused her throat to constrict at the sudden and close action. Stiffing up her limb, she attempted to pull away from him; like she did in Storybrooke, but even though he had just one hand…he was exceedingly stronger than her.

"Let me go!"

"Stop running away from me, Emma!"

"I'm not running away from just _you_! I'm doing this for everybody's good!" she shrieked, twisting her arm around so she could possibly free herself—it didn't work.

"Emma—"

The plea in his voice struck an emotional chord with her, forcing her to face him with a downcast expression. Beseeching him, she met his eyes and stopped tugging away. "I-I can't control it…I can't…" Her voice was deadly soft at her admission but that changed when she saw him in the beginning stages of coming even _closer_. Successfully jerking herself away from his hold, she stumbled backwards and immediately placed both her hands at her sides, praying that she wouldn't react and do something that she would regret. "Stay away!"

Slightly surprised that she had gotten free, he gently addressed her. "Just calm down, lass…Please, just let me help you…"

"How can you?!" she challenged, minimally gesturing with her fingers. "I-I don't even know what's happening to me!" Growing increasingly frantic, she carried on. "I need you to go back into town and, and tell my parents that…that…oh _God_…my _parents_…" Her voice noticeably hitched when that unforgettable image had shoved itself back into her memory. Acknowledging her profound agony, she whispered her next words mainly to herself. "I…I wreck everything I come in contact with…I shouldn't be around them…I…"

"_No_, you _don't_ wreck anything, Swan," Killian cut in fiercely, his eyes stormy. "You know that that's not true! David is _fine_, love. That large, metal pole barely grazed him and even though he was taken to the hospital, I'm sure that everything will be _fine_." Boldly, he reached out to her but that accomplished nothing except further spreading her nervous energy around in her veins. Jumping back, she shook her head.

"_Don't_," she began; a severe warning tone in her voice as she clasped and then unclasped her hands in front of her. "Just…just stop moving towards me. You're, you're making things worse…I mean it."

Swallowing hard, he finally did as she asked before speaking to her again. "Come back with me and we'll figure it all out, _together_. Leaving the people you care about by running away never solved any problems, love, believe me…I know better than most…"

"No, I'll be fine out here. Just go back by yourself."

"I'm not leaving you alone in these woods, love," he declared, his voice harsh with emotion. As he observed the mask of pure distress and horror she was wearing, the tightness in his chest only increased. In his three hundred (plus) years, he had never felt this type of pain in his life and knowing that even though she didn't want him to, he was _going_ to comfort her. He _needed_ to. So, risking rattling her more, he resumed his walking, slowly making his way to the woman he loved more than life itself. "Now," he started, thinking it best to forewarn her of his actions. "I'm going to make my way over to you, Emma…don't be frightened…"

Eyes wide, she again shook her head but, this time, more wildly. "No…Killian…S_top_…"

But he didn't listen to her and when he was a mere foot away, he looked deep into her eyes and offered her a smile, doing his best to relieve some of the pressure he saw building up in her features. "There, that wasn't so hard was it, love?" At the sight of her noticeably relaxing, her shoulders and arms had dropped down a fraction, he licked his lips and decided to take it an extra step. Holding her gaze, he raised his hand and leaned in, bringing the warmth of his fingers to the same wrist he had grabbed earlier.

Ignoring the hiss that she gave him, signaling her displeasure at what he was doing, he intertwined their hands and laid her side onto his chest, silently telling her all that he wished he could out loud. Seeing that she was thinking about pulling from him, he did his best to console her with a few easy words. "Breathe, Emma, _breathe_…"

"I _am_—"

"You look like you're about to faint, sweetheart…" Slightly trailing off, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand in gentle circles, eliciting a lenient exhale on her part. "Don't let whatever that she-devil said affect you anymore…"

Liking the calming affect he was having on her, she allowed him to carry on, but not even _he_ could wipe away what she was truly feeling and before she could bite her tongue, she found herself telling him exactly what was on her mind. "But…she _was_ right…I-I am jealous of my brother. He gets to spend time with the parents I never had. He gets to grow up with them and be surrounded by people who'll actually love and accept him…and at times…_most_ of the time actually; I do feel like the oddball here, like I'm the one person who doesn't belong in this magical world, despite having these…_damn_ powers." Looking at him, Emma frowned, fighting back her unshed tears. "Maybe you all would be better off without me. I just make things more complicated…just ask _Regina_…"

Wanting nothing more than to bring her to him and tell her that everything was going to be alright, he struggled with his urges. Instead, he took a more verbal approach. "As far as Regina is concerned, I believe that she'll sort out her issues over time, but the fact that you think that you don't belong here with _us_, that you're letting this _woman_ get to you, is what worries me the most, love." Somewhat giving in, he brought her hand up to his lips and brushed them over her knuckles. She twitched underneath his hot breath for a moment but, again, allowed him to do what he wanted (to some extent) since his touch had somehow managed to settle down her trembling. Her eyes, however, still projected and held a flicker of apprehension.

"Don't let somebody, with ill intentions; wield that kind of power over you, Emma. She's _using_ you. She's trying to turn you away from those who care about you by relying on your shared, past connection in order to manipulate you."

"You think so?" she asked, timidly.

"Aye…her simple ploy of intimidating you proves nothing else." Pausing, he looked over her closely. "It's true that your brother will have his parents and he'll be surrounded by those who love him but one of those people will be _you_ and I'm sure that he'll learn valuable life lessons from his older sister."

Reminded of what the Snow Queen had said immediately sparked her attitude and caused her hands to start shaking again. "That doesn't change the fact that I destroyed the station and almost killed my dad in the process. I'm dangerous—!"

"You're still learning magic, so, that doesn't make you dangerous," he interjected, waving off what she had just said with his free-hook-hand. "You have to stop focusing so much on the negative things that have happened to you so you can start looking towards the future, Swan."

"Easier said than done," she replied, trying hard not to lose control again as her hand's tremors steadily inclined. Try as she might, she literally couldn't stop them from shivering and every attempt seemed to make it worse. _My powers are chaotic_, she thought to herself when she averted her glance to the forest floor_. I am a monster_…

"You're giving me too much credit, Killian," she acknowledged suddenly. "I'm not as strong as you think I am..."

"You're not thinking straight and leaving isn't going to make things better."

"But it'll make people safer."

Becoming frustrated and panicky himself (for her sake), he squeezed her hand. "This is what she wants and _you_ know that, Swan. She wants you to question yourself and all that you believe in so you would go back to her with open arms, but the problem with that is…" he paused, lovingly sweeping his gaze over her face. "…you're not that woman. The Emma that _I_ know is a fighter. She's a resilient, honest, capable, sensitive and an accomplished person…"

She could actually feel her heart melt at his choice of words and when she gave him a small half-smile, he immediately returned it. "How do you know that that's who I really am?"

"I've met you, lass," he answered gently. "And I consider myself to be an excellent judge of character, besides…we're the same, you and I, remember?"

Recalling the time when she had told him that, over a year ago, she began to nod her head, but just when the light of hope was in her reach…she found herself slipping, drowning in her fears. Today was different. Today they _weren't_ the same. She was…an uncontrollable, dangerous _monster_ that needed to be stopped—even Killian had addressed her as such outside of the partially destroyed station. She didn't know what to do but she knew one thing…she would rather die than hurt another person, especially him.

"Not this time," she stated sadly, trying to tug her hand out of his so she could separate what she was feeling with what she knew to be true. "I saw the fear in your eyes back there to know that things have changed between us."

Furrowing his brow, he shook his head in an effort to convince her. "I wasn't and will never be scared of you, Emma."

After a few more quiet attempts, she successfully removed herself and casually clutched her hands behind her back, for precautionary measures. Taking a couple of rearward steps, she cleared her throat and tried to distance herself emotionally from him by deflecting, especially after hearing the last thing he had said. "I can't keep talking about this with you…you have to go. I have to be alone. I _need_ to figure this out and if you're here, I can't."

"Yes, you can and I'm not afraid of—"

"I almost _killed_ you! Don't you understand that?!" she screamed, snapping at him; totally disregarding what she had originally intended to do in one fell swoop. "If my dad didn't push you out of the way then it would've been _you_ who was injured!"

The outburst instantly silenced whatever it was he was going to say. His face fell but his eyes were stunned wide open and his breathing was ragged, making his chest move up and down, visibly. Realizing the deeper meaning of what she was saying, he practically lunged towards her, momentarily forgetting the situation they both were in, and when she saw him do so, she freaked out.

Unclasping and lifting her hands up to thwart him from getting near her, she accidentally released a hot bolt of white light in front of him, which struck and kicked the ground up, violently. Killian jumped back quickly but didn't cry out. He was more concerned about Emma, who was giving him a scared, frenzied look.

"Oh my _God_…" she said; glancing down at her glowing outstretched hands. "Killian, I'm...I…didn't mean…I—"

"Don't worry about it, love. I'm fine," he replied, instantly attempting to reassure her by pointing at himself. Tempted to go to her again, he took lifted a foot into her direction, but that too didn't work to his advantage.

"No!" she cried out at him, her voice shrill. "_No_. The only way that you and the others will be safe is if I go away..."

And before he could say anything to her, she turned around and ran as hard as she could, tears streaming down her cheeks and off into the air behind her as she made her way deeper into the woods. Not hearing any sounds tailing after her, Emma assumed that he wasn't following her, which was what she wanted.

She didn't want to hurt anybody else with her unmanageable powers.

**…**

**Stay tuned!**


	2. Realizations

**Summary of the Previous Chapter: Killian tried to comfort Emma but she ran away from him after having a small incident. **

**Here's the next chapter! **

**…**

**Chapter Two: Realizations**

**…**

**L**etting her go was the hardest thing Killian ever had to do.

He thought about going after her, even took a couple of steps into her fleeing direction, but decided against it when her scared face flashed before his eyes. She was terrified of hurting him, she admitted as much when she shrieked at him about what had happened back in Storybrooke, but what bothered him the most was that she thought that _he_ was _scared_ of _her_…

He could never be scared _of_ her. He loved her. Emma was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he was _now_ fully determined to show her just how much she meant to him upon her return—no matter what crazed plans the Snow Queen was currently concocting.

They would fight her off _together_.

Kicking up the dirt with the tip of his boot, Killian continued to debate about whether or not he should tail after her (he knew that he was capable of doing so because of his previous tracking experiences in Neverland) or just leave her alone for now. She was clearly distressed and he definitely didn't want to add to that and risk pushing her away from him again. So, with regret, he slowly turned around, his head hanging low, and started to make his way back into the town, praying and hoping that she would be okay at here on her own.

_I'll give her a few hours_, he thought resolutely, briefly looking over his shoulder, as if he would see her running back towards him. _No more, no less_.

**…**

**E**mma didn't have any clue as to where she was heading, she was just letting her feet carry her into any which direction—as long as she was away from people, in general, she would be fine. Slowing down to a hurried walk, she folded her arms tightly over her chest and tried to catch her breath since the intensity of her self-created, physical exertion was beginning to affect her throat and stability.

Slightly coughing, she gently bit down on her lip to quiet the loud gasps she was involuntarily making. Needing a place to escape to for the night, she instantly wished that she had brought her car. _It would've been so much easier if I did_, she mused, sadly. _Then I could get out Storybrooke for a while…maybe forever…_ _Without me...__Henry would be better off, Regina would see to that_…

That last thought of hers bore a hole into her heart but she honestly believed it to be true. If something _ever_ happened to her son, she wouldn't know how to live with herself. Swallowing hard, she unfolded her arms to look at her cursed hands. Her palms were glowing an amber(ish) color in a strobe light fashion, the likes of which she had never seen before, and when she balled her fingers into a fist, she could literally feel the strength of her powers begin to heat up her skin, uncomfortably.

Opening them immediately, she questioned herself aloud. "What am I going to _do_? I…I…can't go back like _this_…"

Exhaling sharply, she then zipped up her red jacket and immediately stuffed her hands into each pocket, the sight of them like that disturbed her to no end. _But where are you going to go? _She then thought to herself again, closing her eyes for just a moment in order to reflect, her speed considerably slowing down due to the absence of her sight. _There's nowhere that you can really go now that you're a-a_…

Shaking her head because she didn't want to complete the sentence, she slowly opened her eyes when a wave of emotions began to wash over her. Wallowing in her self-pity and misery, she starred out blankly before her, wanting nothing more than to restart the day and do things differently. Picking up her pace, her back slightly hunched over, she balanced down another earthy incline, but as she did so, images of her encounter with Killian began to swirl around in her head.

His face, his touch, his charming smile...He was _another_ person she wouldn't be able to live without…

Groaning at her inner confession, she rubbed her arms when a stinging chill suddenly began to fill the air around her. Blinking back her surprise, she looked up and found herself staring at an icy fortress, complete with dangling icicles and thick layers of snow over the surrounding trees, bushes and forest floor.

"What the hell…?" she began, noticing the white puff of smoke that was coming out of her mouth the further she walked in. Glancing about, she raised her brow at the amazing and weird sight. Scrunching up her hands inside of her pockets, Emma carefully treaded over the crunchy snow so she could go over to what appeared to be the front entrance; her curiosity flaring. She leaned in to peek inside and caught a glimpse of something shocking. Instantly noticing the well-placed furniture, the faint dim lights and the creative formation of the ice walls—as if _somebody_ had purposefully constructed it themselves—Emma held back the gasp that was building up in her throat.

It would seem that she had come across the Snow Queen's lair.

Taking a large, semi-leap away from the block of ice, Emma was about to make herself scarce when she found herself looking straight into the eyes of the one person she didn't really want to see at the moment: her former-foster-mother-slash-Snow-Queen.

"I see that you found your way to my home," she said, her voice sickly sweet. Offering her a smile, she clasped her hands together in front of her, her long sparkling gown comparing nicely against the whiteness below her. "You are welcome to step inside if you wish."

"I'll pass," Emma stated after a second of hesitating. "It looks too much like a _Winter Wonderland_ in there and I'm not in the mood to freeze to death…"

Still wearing that smile, the woman took a step forward. "Unlike Elsa, I can control my magic to the point of making what appears to be an unbearable situation _bearable_. In other words," she paused, making a grand gesture with a wave of her hand, instantly stilling the chill Emma had been feeling; allowing her natural body's heat to warm up her skin in a series of tingling sensations. "You don't have to experience anything you don't want to."

Burying her impressed feelings, Emma cleared her throat and tried to speak and act authoritatively. "Don't act like you're doing me a favor. I'm not going to _bond_ with you. Not now, not ever."

Tilting her head, the Snow Queen responded, promptly. "Then why are you here?"

Not expecting that, she slightly stuttered. "I, uh…I…didn't—"

"I can tell you why…"

"Of _course_ you can," Emma then muttered irritably, averting her eyes to try and find a way out. "You already think you know me so, go on…tell me what I'm _thinking_ too."

Ignoring her sarcastic remark, she continued. "You weren't feeling wanted in Storybrooke, so your heart led you here. To _me_. Where you'll feel safe and wanted without any negative judgments. And…without _injuring_ anyone else."

Narrowing her eyes at the blatant remark, Emma could feel her blood pressure start to boil. Killian was right. She was trying to play her, trying to _manipulate_ her into doing something else…something other than becoming her "sister"…She could tell because of the strange, unsettling glint she was seeing in the older woman's eyes.

Sick of all these mind games, she once again folded her arms across her chest, trying to appear unmoving. "Cut the crap," Emma began, instantly liking the surprised reaction the Snow Queen gave her. "You're going to tell me something and you're going to do your best not to _lie_ to me…other than getting your icy hands on me and Elsa, what is it that you really want?"

At first, she said nothing, she just took the time to observe the severe, distrusting expression that had developed on Emma's face. Then, after looking down for a moment, the Snow Queen met her eyes and answered the question, evenly and without any bias. "I want...to get _rid_ of this magical place you call a home so I can recreate my own with the two of you by my side…"

"_Really_?" Emma asked, not buying her story. "You want to overtake this town so you can _fit_ in?"

"In a way," the Snow Queen replied, rather darkly. "How else would I be able to harvest what I need without having everyone in this place destroy one another? Thus, leaving its magic free and unprotected?"

Emma's mouth dropped open a bit. _What does she mean_? But before she could have the chance to ask, the Snow Queen interrupted her with an easy wave of her hand and an eerie grin that tried to discard everything she had just said.

"Now," she started, slowly walking towards her. "Would _you_ like to come inside?"

**...**

**More is coming!**


	3. Hard Choices

**Yay! Finally...there's an update! **

****Summary of the Previous Chapter: After she ran away from him, Killian vowed to search for Emma on his way back to Storybrooke while Emma runs into the Snow Queen.****

**Sorry that I haven't posted anything (for this story) in a while BUT I'm here now :)**

**To my all guest comments: Thanks! I'm glad that you all like it! :) **

***To the GUEST who posted on 11/24 about a Fic where David comforts Emma: It'll be in this series. Hang tight!**

**Enjoy!**

**…**

**Chapter Three: Hard Choices**

**…**

"**I** told you already that I'm not interested," Emma replied, taking a step back from the approaching Snow Queen, who seemed bent on getting closer to her. In the hopes of scaring the other woman, Emma then raised both of her hands up and pointed them into her direction before speaking again, her words noticeably emphasized. "_Stay_…_back_."

"Oh, Emma," she responded, her face passive but her eyes reasonably unaffected. Slowing her movements down, just a bit, so that she wouldn't provoke her, she then tilted her head off to one side and softened her voice. "You're not going to hurt me. We both know it. You're inability to control your gifts proves as much, but that isn't your fault…You simply need the proper and necessary training to make yourself stronger, my dear."

Extending out a friendly hand, the Snow Queen continued, attempting to appease her. "Come on, let's go. We can start a new life together…as a _true_ family. You, Elsa and I _belong_ together."

"That seems to be _your_ only opinion…"

"No," she replied. "I know it to be true."

Hands still up, Emma inhaled, sharply. "Sure you do," she stated, trying to ignore the minor twitching her wrists were doing under the weight of her conflicting emotions. All she could think about, thanks to the unnecessary reminder, was what happened back in Storybrooke with the jail cell, her dad and…Killian—both in the town and in the woods for the latter. "And how would you know that? Did a talking snow man make a prophecy about me?"

"Not a snow man, no…"

Blinking rapidly, Emma slightly lowered her limbs. "But there _was_ a prophecy?"

"In a way," the Snow Queen replied, evenly. "Yes, there was." Taking back her hand because it wasn't accepted, she instead offered her a pleasant smile. "I will tell you anything that you wish to know but only when you're ready and _fully_ willing to accept the truth. Right now, dear, you're beyond stressed and in need of serious guidance." Gesturing to her makeshift home, she then added to her statement. "Let's get you settled in and we can perhaps begin to restore the bond that we once had so many years ago."

"Stop telling me what to do," Emma argued, lifting her hands back to where they were. "Just _stop_..."

The thing that was affecting her the most wasn't the fact that she was being successfully cornered by a witch, who had far more magical experience than her; it was that she was telling the _truth_. All that she had just said was sincerely honest, which was scary. For her sanity's sake, Emma decided that she was going to take it from another perspective. _Maybe she just really, really really believes in whatever she had been told_...

Suddenly feeling mentally drained, not to mention emotionally trapped, Emma felt her hands begin to heat up, once again, with the same hot bundle of energy that had been plaguing her for a few hours now. And as soon as they began to glow that familiar reddish hue, Emma's thoughts instantly jumbled and collided together, making it difficult for her to concentrate on anything remotely positive. Then, in a breathless rush, she found herself rationalizing aloud the only valuable idea, she could see, in her congested head. "I'm not going anywhere with you...the-the only place I-I want to go, have to go to, is Gold's shop..."

Frowning, the Snow Queen's voice dropped. "Why would you go there?"

With wide eyes, Emma looked over her shoulder for a possible exit strategy but, unfortunately, the best way to leave seemed to be in the direction she had come in from. With a harsh tone, she then replied back. "Don't worry about it. I'm not _your_ concern."

"Emma," the older woman of two began; her voice firm. "Whatever you're planning, you have to know that you can't put your faith and trust in _that_ man. He's devious and is perfectly willing to do anything for a deal, so long as the ends justify _his_ means." Eyes beaming with unspoken feelings, she lifted a hand and boldly took a step. "You can't trust him—"

"—But I should trust _you_?"

"You can't see it now but I know what's best for you…I was there when your parents weren't," she pushed, her voice cracking. "I-I've been more of a mother to you than your real _one_ has!"

"That's _not_ true!" Emma screamed, visibly increasing the slight twitching she had been experiencing to a severe trembling motion simply through her emotional outburst. A collective buildup then began to form in the middle of her hands, stemming from her inability to control herself, and as provoked images of her parents (some with her brother and some without) started to overtake and crowd her mind, the glow transformed into powerful rods of electricity. The sheer force of the currents buzzed and tickled around her fingertips, making Emma gasp out in shock. "Son of a bitch," she mumbled; flattening her hands out before her, giving them a useless, but quick, inspection.

Inhaling loudly, the Snow Queen cleared her throat, her voice calm and expressive. "Breathe, just breathe."

Not knowing what else to do, Emma listened, but taking in huge, deep gulps of air didn't seem to be working all that well for her. Freaking out further when it only increased, she looked up and noticed that the Snow Queen was fully and unapologetically making her way over to her with an outstretched hand. Emma shook her head and told her to stop, but when she didn't, something inside of her snapped.

The glow suddenly intensified till it shined and burst from her, its length long and hot when it cut through the air and struck the other woman in the shoulder; forcing her off of the ground and onto her back a few paces away.

Surprised and concerned, Emma's eyes widened. She thought about going over there to make sure that she wasn't…well, dead…but because of all the things that she had been through that day, which were mainly caused through the acts of said woman, she stopped herself. _Why should I help her_? She contemplated silently, watching the Snow Queen's struggle to get into a sitting position while, simultaneously, clutching at her upper arm. Seeing this as her big opportunity to make a clean getaway, Emma bit at her bottom lip and clasped her hands together before sprinting back into the direction she had come in from, which took her past the recovering woman, who she looked at briefly on her way out.

"Wait…" the Snow Queen stated weakly, slightly grunting from her low position. Gently pushing away some of her white decorated cape, she called out again, her features in genuine shock. "_Wait_, come back!"

Ignoring the plea, Emma kept running, trying to put as much distance in-between them as humanly possible, all the while praying that the she wouldn't use any of her magic to just teleport somewhere around or in front of her. Since her legs were already sore from her previous excursion, Emma could feel the grip of fatigue begin to claw at her, effectively making her stumble and trip about a couple times, especially whenever she stepped on a rock or tried to move around a tree.

Breathing raggedly, she eventually slowed down to a stop, but only after she had glanced over her shoulder for any kind of evidence that she had been followed. When she found no trace of the Snow Queen, she brushed some of her hair back and slowly lowered herself into a squat, desperately needing to take a small break. With one hand on the ground for balance, she then placed the other onto her chest, manually trying to stabilize her breathing, which was coming out in wheezy gasps. Despite being incredibly tired, she knew that she couldn't stay there long, especially since she had accidentally let it slip about what she had planned on doing next, so, with a heavy groan, Emma forced herself into a standing position. Wobbling slightly, she found the strength in her to lightly pound her hands against the length of her thighs, purposefully attempting to loosen them up, before gradually jogging her way out of the woods and into one of the streets of Storybrooke.

With her head down and tucked between her hunched shoulders, Emma managed to sneak onto a pathway that led her directly to the front door of the Pawn Shop, without being seen; however, still paranoid, she continued to look about even when she had closed in on her target. Gently placing a hand onto the long handle, she was about to open it when she happened to peer through one of the square windows before her. Her blood turned cold and her mouth dropped open at the unexpected sight, which made it entirely difficult for her to remove her hand in order to escape.

Inside, with their backs facing her, she saw her parents and Killian talking to a less than enthusiastic Gold, who stood behind his table with his hands out in front of him.

Panicking, Emma ducked down before, soundlessly, managing to pry all of her fingers from around the knob, doing her best to eliminate any evidence of her being out there. Almost tripping over her own two feet, she then rounded the building in search for the back entrance, still determined to do what she believed to be necessary, despite the new and terrifying delay. Thankfully...the door was unlocked, and as she snuck inside, she was able to hear some of what they were talking about, which—not to her surprise—happened to be about _her_. Gently maneuvering around the numerous objects in the immediate connecting room, Emma tried to avoid the open door as she closed in to hear more.

Listening in on their conversation was probably a bad idea but she couldn't help herself.

She wanted to know if they were okay, if her _dad_ was okay, and judging from what she had seen only briefly, and a few moments ago, he appeared to be. He was out of the hospital, which was great, but… _Looks can be deceiving_, Emma sadly thought to herself as she leaned her body up against the wall that separated her from them. Shaking her head and biting her lower lip, she pressed her left shoulder further into the divider and perked up her ears, quietly hoping that her decision to eavesdrop wasn't going to end with her heart breaking further.

"I've already told you," Gold said, his voice both exasperated and annoyed. "I have no way of knowing where your daughter is _unless_ you have something of hers to offer for a tracking spell…"

Mary Margaret first looked at David before addressing Gold, her voice soft. "We can always go home and get something…"

"Better do so quickly, dearie," Gold quickly followed. "I have business to take care of in a few minutes."

"More adventures to indulge in, _crocodile_?" Killian asked with a deadly sneer, unable to hide his contemptuous feelings for the man, especially if he planned on leaving in the middle of a crisis. His Swan was missing and all _he_ could think about was carrying on with his villainous dealings? Taking a shuddering but deep breath, he did his best not to take his frustrations out on Gold when he shifted his empty gaze onto him.

"What I do in my spare time is no concern of yours, _Captain_."

"If it takes your focus away from more _important_ matters," Killian easily responded, his jaw contracting in silent anger. "Then it becomes _my_ business." Knowing that Rumple would catch the double meaning in his words, he held his gaze with his own, doing his best to rattle the Dark One's cage in order to spur him into some type of beneficial action.

"_Please_, Gold," David suddenly said, breaking the tense moment with his input. Taking a step forward, he pulled the older man's attention away from Killian and onto himself. "There must be something that you can do."

"As I said, I have business matters to attend to, but if you can bring me something within ten minutes," he paused with a head nod. "You will have what you want."

"Deal," David said before turning to his wife, his tone somber. "I'm going to head over to the Sheriff's Station. Emma usually has some things there."

"I'll go with you, mate," Killian volunteered, slightly gesturing with his hook. Originally, he had intended on going back to the forest alone, in order to search for his love, but if they were going to have a magical tracking potion, he'd rather spend his time doing simple tasks for that then running around aimlessly in the woods. Deeply regretting not going after her when he had the chance, his voice became raspy and thick. "I can't stand by and do nothing when's Emma missing…"

David accepted his help before turning to face Mary Margaret again. "Do you want to wait here till we come back?"

"I should go to the loft and check in on Neal, Henry, Belle and Elsa," she explained with a small, sad smile. "But call me when you get something."

Instantly noticing her expression, David stepped closer to her, lovingly cupping her face. "I know that you're worried about Emma but we're going to find her. It's what we do…"

"I know but," she trailed off, her eyes welling up with tears. "I just feel _so_ bad…I-_I_ failed her…I'm the one who made her believe that it was her fault…that _everything_ that is happening around us is _her_ fault!"

As she listened next to the wall, Emma closed her eyes tight. The trembling in her mom's voice told her that she was telling the truth but even though she knew that Mary Margaret didn't mean to flinch away from her earlier or to scold her by simply calling out her name…it still hurt. _It's because of my powers_, she thought again to herself. Opening her eyes, she brought her shaky hands up, near her eye level._ It's because of my magic that I'll never be happy…that I'll never be normal…I'm a monster because of them_…

Then, as if sparked from her negative feelings, the inside portion of her hands suddenly grew warm, causing the unbearable tingling sensation to prick at her sensitive skin again. Electricity then shot out from around her fingertips with such heated force that it began to blister and scorch the air around them, making sizzling and popping sounds that only Emma was able to hear. As the tremors steadily increased, she cursed silently to herself before, decisively, taking a couple of steps back.

Growing flustered and breathing heavily, she tried to close her hands but found them to be incredibly stiff. "_No_," she whispered to herself, looking around in a desperate effort to calm down, but when she heard the tone of her mom's voice again, her magic reacted violently. Separating her fingers, the voltage flared a few inches out and away from her, creating a massive electrical disturbance in the shop when all of the lights began to flicker on and off.

"What's going on?" her dad asked somebody in obvious concern.

Gold's eyebrow rose when he surveyed the strange occurrence. Turning to his right, he visually followed what appeared to be the origin of the unknown energy, but when he was about to inspect, his gut told him not to. _The source isn't mechanical_, he mused. _It's magical_…

A knowing gleam bounced around in his eyes when he turned back to his surprised guests. Lifting his hands, he gave them a shrug. "It's nothing," he lied. "Anyway, all of you should be on your way if you want my immediate services."

Absentmindedly nodding, all three of the visitors headed for the front entrance and as soon as the married couple stepped away and into the street, Killian turned back around to face the shop. Narrowing his eyes, he lingered for only a few seconds before heading to the station with a waiting David, shifting his focus on finding Emma and bringing her home.

He didn't exactly know what was going on but his suspicions were definitely roused and stirring.

When everybody had left, Gold wasted no time in gathering all of the necessary ingredients he would need for the spell from the various shelves and cabinets he had placed them on. With a solemn expression, he returned to his desk where he carefully laid out all of the needed tools, vials and small pouches before grabbing one of the large wooden bowls he kept off to one side. He worked in silence for a few minutes, steadily opening each container with steady and nimble fingers, before clearing his throat, effortlessly projecting his voice so that it would fill every corner of the room.

"You may come out now, Ms. Swan..."

From her position, Emma froze. _Damn_, she thought when she pushed herself away from the wall. Exhaling loudly, she slowly shuffled to the connecting door, feeling guilty. "This may be a stupid question," she began when she appeared in the frame, staring at the floor in front of her. "But how did you know that I was here?"

Still working on the potion, he answered her. "You mean besides the fact that I caught a glimpse of you outside my front entrance? ...I heard the back door open and after that…I heard some minor footsteps…Both of which pales in comparison to the lights suddenly flickering about…I simply put the pieces together, dearie."

"How…acutely thorough of you…"

"I don't mean to brag but paying attention to the small details is _one_ of my specialties. On that note," he said, grabbing a purplish vial and pouring a teaspoon of the contents into the bowl. "I assume that you heard what your parents and…_boyfriend_ demanded of me?"

Glancing at the door, as if hoping they wouldn't return at the mere mention of them being there, Emma then moved around the edge of the desk to see his face. Stopping directly in front of him, she looked at her hands, which had, at that moment, surprisingly lost its supernatural glow. Swallowing hard, she stuttered. "I did, but I, uh, I…I came here for something else."

"A favor I presume?"

She nodded her head. "A big one..."

"Well, spit it out, dearie," he ordered, glancing up at her momentarily. "It seems that everybody has something to ask of me today, whether or not I'm willing to hear them out. So, you may as well make your contribution." Mixing the brew with a long spoon, he then added with a humorless grin. "Doesn't mean that I'll _grant_ it though…"

Not really knowing how else to say it, she let it roll off of her tongue, similar to the fashion she had used earlier with the Snow Queen. "I want you to take my powers away. I don't want them anymore."

The circular motion Gold was in the midst of doing instantly screeched to a halt at her words. Propping the spoon's length carefully against the inside of the bowl, he fully looked at her, his expression unreadable before it melted into his usual smirk.

"I think I may have a way of getting rid of your troubles, Ms. Swan…"

**…**

**Please stay tuned! **


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